VHS Course Catalog

Philosophy I

In this course, students are invited to participate in an activity that is over 2500 years old and expected to develop their own ideas about philosophical problems, theories and arguments. Students will be challenged to think critically, while taking into consideration what the others had and have to say about those matters.

Philosophy enhances the improvement of the analysis of personal convictions, the understanding of the diversity of arguments of others and the awareness of the limited character of our knowledge. In this sense, philosophy is a basic and important part of education and an instrument for making democratic life deeper.

Participants in this philosophy course will be challenged to think critically and learn to think with the ideas and points of view of past and contemporary philosophers. Students will write, read and debate extensively, always by means of an argumentative discourse and weekly assignments.

Prerequisites

None

Course Objectives

Participants in this course will be able to:

To be progressively aware of the specific characteristics of philosophy.

To recognize the specific contributions of philosophy to the development of a critical, methodical and responsible way of thinking.

To use philosophical concepts and develop a conceptual and critical kind of reasoning.

To cultivate one’s ability for independent and critical thinking.

To learn to read philosophical texts and understand their basic arguments.

To critically examine ideas.

To express and formulate ideas in a clear and argumentative way.

To demonstrate respect for others ideas.

To appreciate how philosophy contributes to the political and cultural institutions of our contemporary world.

To recognize key theories and methodologies of Western philosophy.

To apply philosophical ideas and arguments to values into one’s own life.

To use technology as a learning tool.

Additional Requirements

Please note: This course requires use of java to access some course content, which will require regular access to a computer with a Windows/Mac operating system running Safari or Internet explorer. This part of the course cannot be completed on a Chromebook or mobile device.